Last year, a lot of the movies that I watched at the cinema were pretty dreadful. And it’s very annoying. I’m getting pretty tired of writing negative, hateful reviews. I want to be positive, and I want to watch more movies that inspire me.
Since I can’t seem to find many decent movies that I haven’t already seen, I have decided that, in order to write more encouraging reviews, I’m going review films that have a special place in my heart.
Movies that deserve to be known as ‘Five Star Favourites’.
I very rarely give five stars to movies, because after all, nothing is perfect, but occasionally, sometimes, you can stumble upon a movie that is so awesome and fantastic and brilliant and impacting and emotionally connecting in every way, that I want to tell the whole world about it.
And powerful, motivating, moving movies like this are what made me love film in the first place, and are the reason why I started this blog. Fantastic movies can take you to another world, make you think about deep issues, or laugh your head off.
So, in the true spirit of a movie maniac, I am going to gush over the movies that I could watch on repeat and never get bored of. Movies that, if I met you in real life, I would tell you to watch because they are my favourites. I may have already written about some of them before, but that won’t stop me from writing about them again.
And you might not agree with my choices, but then, as the Movie Marmite Man, I don't really care. Because I know I’m right.
So to kick it all off, I’ll be writing about a film that pushed a certain young director into the limelight. Some say it’s a gimmicky film with all style and no substance. Those people are wrong, and probably didn’t understand it.
And that film is:
Memento (2000)
Starring: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss & Joe Pantoliano
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Rating: ★★★★★
At the peak of the era when it was flashy and cool to make psychological thrillers about existentialism and identity, Memento exploded onto the scene. Not only was the movie based on a neurological condition known as anterograde amnesia, it was also shot in a non-linear form to demonstrate to the audience what it must be like having to experience life with this affliction.
I have always loved psychological thrillers, particularly ones that are about real psychological processes. I also love movies that don’t treat the audience like they are stupid. Add that together with heavily stylised visuals, a strong and potent story and endearing characters, and you have one of the greatest movies ever made.
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| Guy Pierce plays Leonard, the 'Memory Man'. |
Mementois about Leonard (Pearce), a man who can’t make new memories after suffering from a blow to the head. He can remember everything up until his accident, but nothing after it. Leonard is certain that the new town he has arrived in holds the key to the identity of the person who murdered his wife, and so goes on a mission to track the killer down, whatever the cost.
I don’t really want to say much more, as it will spoil the film for those who haven’t seen it.
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| Leonard's tattoos help him to remember... |
Memento was written by Nolan’s brother Jonathan (famous for co-writing The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises, as well as creating the wonderful television series Person of Interest) based on a short story he wrote about an man with amnesia escaping a mental hospital to track down and kill his wife’s murderer.
Mementowas a critical and commercial success, and to this day is often referred to as one of the best films of the 00s and by some as one of the greatest films of all time. For me, the late 90s/early 00s was one of the best times in cinema history, as the films of the time explored psychological themes that are and will always be interesting and vitally important to humanity. Most of my favourite films of all time were made around this period, as I love films with psychology and identity at their core (e.g. Dark City and Identity) and Memento is a stunning example of this unique and wonderful era.
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| Natalie (Moss) gets involved in Leonard's quest... |
Directors that I really rate are always those that can use images to tell stories. Unfortunately, I really feel that certain modern movies fail to remember that cinema is about visual narrative, and just rely on either dialogue or explosions to be interesting, or, on the other side of that, just pretty pictures that give the audience no real depth (like Ridley Scott).
In Memento, Nolan uses visual motifs as tools to cleverly assist the audience on their journey of Leonard’s confused story. Two different chronologies are told simultaneously, but this isn’t as confusing as it sounds because of the striking and intelligent signposts that are used throughout the film’s duration. Some might call this gimmicky; I call it clever filmmaking because it works.
Ignoring the movie’s structure, the story itself is also deeply effective. It’s essentially about identity, and how this fragile construct can be manipulated and ultimately irreparably damaged. The backstory that Leonard tells to an unidentified person over the phone is about a man named Sammy Jankis, and it is through this story that we discover Leonard’s real motivation.
The psychology, while inherently interesting and involving, is slightly skewed. Although the literal visual depiction of Leonard’s amnesia is strong, the way in which it is revealed at the end is completely inaccurate. But it doesn’t really matter, because ultimately, this is a mystery film about revenge, and it just makes the film even more shocking and haunting. And I’m not really a stickler for realism anyway.
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| Will Leonard ever figure out who killed his wife? |
There are so many parts I love about Memento. The soundtrack is amazing, the shots are beautiful. The acting is fantastic by all three central actors. The story is compelling, the mystery provocative and the finale rewarding and powerful.
Some might dismiss Memento as being essentially a cheap thriller, but they would be wrong. Memento is a film that I loved and ‘got’ the very first time I saw it, and it is a movie that I have watched repeatedly since.
For me, it is such a deep, taut and important thriller that looks at an area of humanity which I think is the most fundamental construct for all humans: identity. But even if this aspect of the film doesn’t do it for you, it is still a well-made, highly involving slow burning psychological thriller that is intelligently written and directed.
So if you haven’t seen Memento, then you should. And if you have, then watch it again.
I know I will. I’ll always remember Sammy Jankis.
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